CSULB students prove their respect for free speech on campus with a visit from an infamous internet preacher.
Hundreds of students kept the peace in the Central Quad at CSULB when visited by a controversial preacher, Sister Cindy, on April 11.
Cindy Smock, 63, is a popular Evangelical who is known for her derogatory language in proclaiming conservative values on college campuses.
While the contention was palpable, the discourse that sustained over the day demonstrated CSULB students’ level of support for free speech on campus.
Most came to witness the spectacle first-hand but stayed for the entertainment. There was no shortage of profanities, verbal insults, or provocative language throughout the visit- such as Smock’s opening statement,”welcome to the slut-shaming show.”
Or, the infamous slogan, “HoNoMo”, which she uses, on repeat, to condemn sexual promiscuity and premarital sex.
To me, the beauty of the whole thing was not in the diatribe of Sister Cindy or the comedic relief it ensued, but in the peaceful exchange of words between a diverse crowd of people on campus.
Like myself, many students regarded the event as merely humorous, and, more importantly, non-threatening. The general consensus was that this was a joke.
“I think people receive it as a joke, it’s not causing serious harm. I grew up catholic so I think this is really funny,” said freshman journalism major Melanie Perez. “It’s a good opportunity to heckle, you know. This is definitely the most I’ve seen Cal State Long Beach students gather together for something in one space.”
When students say “joke”, they don’t mean to say Smock’s speech is actually a stunt, nor that what is being said is inconsequential, but rather it is so absurd, that it’s comical.
Sister Cindy and her husband, Jed Smock, better known as Brother Jed, are no strangers to CSULB, or the internet.
They have been notoriously touring college campuses across the nation for the last five decades, according to The Chronicle. In recent years, the couple amassed a large following on TikTok, with 402.5 thousand followers, as of April 20.
During the event, first-year art major Reilly Gallagher, shouted, “Sister Cindy hates gay people.” To which she responded with a blatant and unabashed, “Yes.”
What struck me then was the juxtaposition of Sister Cindy’s comeback and the immediate outburst of laughter between students. I felt the shock alongside my peers, and couldn’t help but laugh with them.
While there was plenty of ammunition for us to retaliate, we didn’t. Personally, her words felt like weapons against me at times. I didn’t know whether to scream or just laugh, but I always chose the latter.
As I saw it, there was an established sense of safety in the atmosphere, in terms of physical harm. How could this be?
I believe this was due, in part, to the amusing nature of Sister Cindy, but more so to the students’ ability to respect free speech on campus. The important thing is their ability to keep the peace in the face of (non-threatening) opposition.
According to Gallagher, this dialogue was within the realms of free speech. “I don’t think people are taking it seriously, they think it’s funny,” he said. “It only becomes an issue once people are actually being affected.”
Although an atheist, he doesn’t find her language offensive enough to cause any real harm. However, Gallagher believes there are cases where it is harmful. For instance, he referred to the anti-abortion protests from earlier this year.
“When the people come and they have their giant posters of babies, that actually affects people,” he said. “I don’t think anyone sitting here [with Sister Cindy] is actually offended or anything because I think it’s so obvious that it’s a joke.”
Liberal studies major Hannah Nellies stayed on the lawn for over two hours and knows the couple from their viral videos.
“I know them from TikTok. They just go to college campuses and slut shame and preach the gospel, but they do it in a really funny way where people just like try to challenge them,” she said. “It’s more entertainment than it really is religion.”
“I mean she came out and said ‘we’re not here to preach the gospel, we’re not here to pray for you, we’re here to slut shame’…so it’s definitely more entertainment,” Nellies said.
Sitting directly across from Sister Cindy as she paced a small section of the Quad, was first-year pre-biology major Mathew Amaya.
“I honestly think it’s a joke- it’s reminding me a lot of Tammy Fay Baker and her husband at the time”, Amaya said.
Amaya supports free speech to a certain extent. That is, when it becomes “aggressive behavior, getting up close and personal because you’re violating someone’s personal space,” he said.
I do not credit the Smock’s themselves for their hours of entertainment. The fun of it was a product of the student body’s ability to accept others, respond respectfully and not take things too seriously. All very noble, if you ask me.